PRODUCT REVIEW: The Nespresso Latissima One is an expensive ‘nice to have’

By Grethe Kemp

17 June 2018

pricey but nice Invest in the Lattissima when you’re feeling rich.

Nespresso Lattissima OneR3 250 at buynespresso.comThree stars

Whenever I go to someone’s house and they have a Nespresso coffee pod machine, I think: “Ja, they’re fancy.”

Nespresso machines are one of those appliances that are very nice to have, but are definitely not a necessity. You have a Nespresso machine if you’re a bit rich or you got it as a present.

The new Nespresso Lattissima One falls in that category. It’s a lot cheaper than the Lattissima Pro (R6 500), but, at R3 250, it’s a pricy machine to buy just to make a latte. It becomes even more expensive if you consider that a capsule sleeve with 10 coffee pods costs about R90.

I'd also heard a great deal of bad news about these aluminum and plastic pods, for instance that millions of them end up in landfills. In fact, German city Hamburg has banned the use of them. I asked Nespresso about this and they replied:

"Sustainability is a business imperative for Nespresso. The Nespresso brand is committed to managing the recycling of their capsules responsibly through their partnership with Oricol Environmental Services. Consumers are encouraged to drop off their used capsules in-store, where they will be sent to Oricol to be recycled."

With its milk frother attachment, the Lattissima is especially for making cappuccino and latte macchiatos.

“Just fill the milk jug with the amount of milk you want for your drink. The machine will froth it directly into your cup and brew your coffee for a perfect coffee and milk drink,” says the description.

The machine works as it claims, and is streamlined, user-friendly and beautiful.

Unfortunately, it is not something I would spend that amount of money on.